Wrecking ball swings on first home in path of bypass

The property on Bruxner Park Road is in the process of being demolished.

The first house to be demolished to make way for the Coffs Harbour Bypass. A new Rural Fire Service (RFS) building will be built on the Bruxner Park Road site.

The first house to be demolished to make way for the Coffs Harbour Bypass and a new Rural Fire Service building is on its way down.

North Coast contractor Dingo Demolitions has completed about 50 per cent of the work to remove the property at Bruxner Park Road.

The demolition work is expected to be completed by early February, weather permitting. CBuild - another North Coast contractor - will then build the new RFS facility on the site.

All directly impacted property owners have been contacted by Transport for NSW, which currently owns or is in an agreement regarding 121 properties.

"Transport for NSW will use the feedback gained during the recent market interaction process to help determine the most suitable procurement method to deliver the next phase of the project, which will involve major work," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

Sod turning for the Coffs Harbour bypass and an image of properties to be acquired along the proposed bypass route.

The NSW Roads Minister Paul Toole and Deputy Premier John Barilaro travelled to the region in December last year to join local politicians - Cowper MP Pat Conaghan and Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh - for a sod turning ceremony in mid-December.

The year 2020 had long been touted as the year construction on the Coffs Harbour Bypass would start so they were cutting it fine.

Construction tenders for the bypass are yet to be advertised but Mr Singh has emphasised that this early preparation work including the demolition of the first house on Bruxner Park Road and later the relocation of utilities shows the project is well underway.

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At the sod turning ceremony Minister Toole said the State Government would tender for the relocation of critical utilities in "the next few days".

The Coffs Bypass Action Group and Coffs Harbour City Council fought hard to make sure tunnels were included in the final design.

The 14 kilometre Coffs Harbour bypass will be the city's biggest ever infrastructure project and will provide 2000 jobs locally during its construction while supporting up to 12,000 jobs over the whole life-cycle of the project.